Jessica Jacinto is 22 years old and lives in Valencia, Venezuela. She has Down syndrome , but this condition has not stopped her from fighting for her dreams. One of them was to become a professional model, and she achieved it after many years of preparation, effort, and thanks to her motivation to become a real catwalk star.
“I want to be an international model. I love the photos, I love walking the catwalks,” she said. Jessica has the personality and the mastery of the stage to choose her aesthetic and beauty, aspects that have already won over many people. Thanks to the support of her mother, who accompanied and guided her unconditionally, her dream led her to the start of a very exciting international career.
At the age of 14, when she was entering high school, Jessica was already doing a few sports like gymnastics, swimming and athletics, but they didn’t really make her happy. That’s when her mother, Yanira, and Jessica received an invitation to a beauty pageant for girls with Down syndrome, which they accepted just to try something new.
“In no sport have I seen her happy, I have seen that she was wasting her time and that I was wasting mine too. When I saw her parade, I understood that it was her world,” confided her mother. Seeing her so happy and uninhibited, she understood that she had taken the wrong path and that the world of fashion was what really appealed to her.
“For me, being a model means having a career that I like, that really excites me. It takes dedication and courage to improve. As soon as I’m on the podium, I become someone else. It’s almost like there’s someone else inside me suddenly popping out. I feel empowered,” explained the young woman.
To date, she has participated in many castings and only once in a modeling competition. She started registering for these events thanks to the support of her mother. The latter spent her time surfing Instagram on the lookout for the slightest opportunity for her daughter.
Jessica has since been invited by local entrepreneurs and designers to model. All describe his admirable qualities. She has great charisma and strength, which help her chart her own path in the world of fashion in Venezuela.
Together, they have already overcome difficult challenges, but much remains to be done. As her mom says, “Venezuela still has a long way to go in terms of inclusion. The few big modeling agencies I’ve tried to get her into to give her a boost always tell me they’ll call me and they never do, same goes with some brands. »
However, nothing really lowered their morale. Together, they fought against all odds to achieve their goals. Today her mother is in charge of managing her social networks where Jessica is gradually becoming quite famous. For example, the young woman already has nearly 50,000 subscribers on Instagram . «How I would like her to realize her dream, I can’t get enough of it, and I know that one day she will achieve it,» says Yanira.
A model who makes her parents proud
Her mother recently shared her experience via social media: “As a mother, you feel proud that your daughter is achieving her goals. Her daily life is like that of any other person: she goes to school, to extra-curricular activities, etc. We have not changed our humble approach to life, in fact many parents of children with this condition have written to us asking for advice.»
Jessica can also talk about the relationship she has with her parents and what they think of her development: «my parents are very happy and proud of me, because they see that every day I work hard and that I am very disciplined, more every day. And of course they see that I’m happy, that’s what they really want for me.»